Caffeine

Community Wellfest Project - Caffeine

Hannah Hassett, Sarah Leonard and Dakota Luknis

Youngstown State University

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Caffeine in Energy Drinks and the Effects

Teaching plan - explain how much caffeine is in each drink and how goes into your daily levels

What caffeine is:

Definition - Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It

is used as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts

by blocking binding of adenosine to the adenosine A1 receptor, which enhances release of the

neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine, the neurotransmitter that

tells your brain it’s tired. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine)

Caffeine is in:

● Coffee beans

● Tea leaves

● Kola nuts, which are used to flavor soft drink colas

● Cacao pods, which are used to make chocolate products

● Found in over 60 plants

Amount of caffeine in coffee, energy drinks, pop, etc.

● An 8-ounce cup of coffee: 95-200 mg

● A 12-ounce can of pop: 35-45 mg

● An 8-ounce energy drink: 70-100 mg

● An 8-ounce cup of tea: 14-60 mg

● 96% of beverage caffeine consumed in the US is from coffee, soft drinks, and tea, with

coffee contributing the most to caffeine intake.

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How long it takes to get into the bloodstream: The effects of caffeine can be felt as soon as 15

minutes after it is consumed. The level of caffeine in your blood peaks about one hour later and

stays at this level for several hours for most people. Six hours after caffeine is consumed, half of

it is still in your body. It can take up to 10 hours to completely clear caffeine from your

bloodstream.

(https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15496-caffeine-how-to-hack-it-and-how-to-quit-it)

College students have caffeine everywhere around them: Just at YSU, we have ample options

to get caffeine: Dunkin, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Chic-fil-a, Food Court and various vending

machines throughout each building. It’s not unusual to see college students carrying caffeine

with them into their classes and/or getting it before they study.

Cody notes from podcast:

- Adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. This means adenosine can act as a central

nervous system depressant. It will promote sleep and suppress arousal. When awake, the

levels of adenosine rise each hour.

(https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Adenosine.aspx)(Dr. Ananya Mandal,

MD)

- Andrew Huberman is a Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford

University. Caffeine is an Adenosine antagonist. The longer you are awake, adenosine

builds up in your bloodstream. That's what makes you feel fatigued. Caffeine blocks the
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adenosine receptor. When caffeine wears off, the adenosine that is still around binds to

that receptor and you experience a caffeine crash - that feeling of being really sleepy.

- One thing that you can do is when you wake up in the morning, don’t ingest caffeine for

the first 90 minutes. This will allow adenosine and the adenosine receptors to go through

their normal processes. Then after 90 minutes and you ingest caffeine, you won’t

experience the caffeine crash in the afternoon. The caffeine will wear off, but there isn’t

a buildup of adenosine to bind to the receptor.

Interactive prop at Wellfest:

Cody Eval Method: Five-question quiz about where caffeine comes from and which drinks have

the highest amount. The learner should be able to put the drinks containing caffeine in a list

format ranging from highest to lowest concentration.

Wellfest Caffeine Quiz

1) Which caffeinated beverage has the HIGHEST caffeine concentration?

2) Which caffeinated beverage has the LOWEST caffeine concentration?

3) True or false: Caffeine lowers blood pressure for many consumers.

4) What are 3 examples of symptoms caused by caffeine withdrawal?

5) How many milligrams of caffeine are recommended a day?

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What caffeine is:

Definition - Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It

is used as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts

by blocking the binding of adenosine to the adenosine A1 receptor, which enhances the release of

the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine, the neurotransmitter

that tells your brain it’s tired. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine)

Caffeine is in:

● Coffee beans

● Tea leaves

● Kola nuts, which are used to flavor soft drink colas

● Cacao pods, which are used to make chocolate products

● Found in over 60 plants

Amount of caffeine in coffee, energy drinks, pop, etc.

● An 8-ounce cup of coffee: 95-200 mg

● A 12-ounce can of pop: 35-45 mg

● An 8-ounce energy drink: 70-100 mg

● An 8-ounce cup of tea: 14-60 mg

● 96% of beverage caffeine consumed in the US is from coffee, soft drinks, and tea, with

coffee contributing the most to caffeine intake.

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Places on Campus to get caffeinated beverages:

● Dunkin Donuts
● Starbucks
● Wendy’s
● Chic-fil-a
● Food Court
● Various Vending Machines throughout each building

How long it takes to get into the bloodstream: The effects of caffeine can be felt as soon as 15

minutes after it is consumed. The level of caffeine in your blood peaks about one hour later and

stays at this level for several hours for most people. Six hours after caffeine is consumed, half of

it is still in your body. It can take up to 10 hours to completely clear caffeine from your

bloodstream.

How to avoid the “crash” after drinking caffeinated beverages: Adenosine is an inhibitory

neurotransmitter. This means adenosine can act as a central nervous system depressant. It will

promote sleep and suppress arousal. When awake, the levels of adenosine rise each hour. The

longer you are awake, the more adenosine will build up in your bloodstream. This is what makes

you feel fatigued. Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptor, therefore you don’t experience the

“tired” feeling. When the caffeine wears off, the adenosine that is still around in your

bloodstream will bind to the adenosine receptor and you will experience a caffeine crash -- that

feeling of being really sleepy hours after consuming a caffeinated beverage. You can avoid this

by postponing when you drink a beverage that contains caffeine in the morning. If you just wait
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90 minutes after waking up, this will allow adenosine and the adenosine receptors to go through

their normal processes. Then, after 90 minutes and you ingest caffeine, you won’t experience the

caffeine crash in the afternoon. The caffeine will wear off, but there isn’t a buildup of adenosine

to bind to the receptor, causing you to experience a “crash”.

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References

11 Facts About Caffeine. (2015). DoSomething.org.

https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-caffeine

‌Huberman, A. (2022). #1842 - Andrew Huberman [Podcast #1842 - Andrew Huberman]. In J.

Rogan (Ed.), Spotify.

Mandal, A. (2019, February 26). What is Adenosine? News-Medical.net.

https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Adenosine.aspx

National Library of Medicine. (2017, December 31). Caffeine. Medlineplus.gov.

https://medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html

Wikipedia Contributors. (2018, November 28). Caffeine. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

Dependence-

When consuming large amounts of caffeine regularly, the body actually starts to crave it and

starts to develop a dependency on it. Caffeine has a stimulant effect on the brain— it causes a

surge of dopamine to be released which causes a boost of energy and a sort of “feel-good”

feeling. This is why when going without caffeine, some consumers have “withdrawal symptoms”

such as;

Fatigue, headaches, nausea, tremors, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, nerve pain and irritability.

These symptoms are typically worse in people who consume lots of caffeine. According to the

Cleveland clinic consumers should take in no more than 400mg of caffeine daily. (How many
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cups of coffee is this?) You can wean off caffeine without withdrawal symptoms by waiting an

hour after waking to have coffee, drinking plenty of water, and getting lots of rest.

Heart-

Caffeine can increase your blood pressure, even if you don’t already have high blood pressure.

The rise in pressure can be short-lived, and happens quickly- the effects can be seen especially

before physical activity. Consistent caffeine consumers can experience overall higher blood

pressures than non caffeine consumers. The rise in pressure happens because caffeine blocks a

hormone that keeps arteries widened. The rise in blood pressure can cause an anxious feeling or

a restlessness for some. Another effect is a rapid heart rate. This can cause complications for

those with a pre-existing heart condition if they aren’t regulating their intake. Caffeine prevents

calcium reabsorption into the bones which may put consumers at an increased risk of

osteoporosis, especially aging women. (Muscle aches- caffeine withdrawal)

Digestive/urinary-

Caffeine can regulate the bowels, however too much consumption can cause effects such as

diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. The acidity of caffeine can cause heartburn , thus possibly resulting

in an upset stomach. Caffeine is a diuretic which increases frequency of urination. The caffeine is

processed by the liver and is excreted in the urine, meaning it can damage the kidneys in excess

as well.

Reproductive-

Caffeine travels in the bloodstream and crosses the placenta. Since it poses as a stimulant it can

raise the fetal heart rate and metabolism too much which could result in slowed fetal growth. All

those factors together increase the risk of experiencing a miscarriage. In most cases a little
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caffeine during pregnancy is fine, not exceeding 200-300mg a day. Consumers not pregnant

trying to become pregnant may even experience a harder time conceiving. This is due to the

interference caffeine has with estrogen production and the metabolism needed to conceive.
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Hannahs Links

10 effects site

https://veryhealthy.life/10-real-caffeine-withdrawal-symptoms/?utm_source=%2Bcaffeine%20%

2Bside%20%2Beffects&utm_medium=10CaffeineWithdrawalSymptoms&utm_campaign=adw_

us&msclkid=215c99f3679019d9bca5faec156116a5

Healthline

https://www.healthline.com/health/caffeine-effects-on-body

https://medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html#:~:text=Caffeine%20has%20many%20effects%20on%20y

our%20body%27s%20metabolism.,effects%20of%20caffeine%20for%20four%20to%20six%20

hours.
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https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/health/services/promotion/content/what-are-effects-caffeine

https://www.addictioncenter.com/stimulants/caffeine/

https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2015/11/coffee

Https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/blood-pres

sure/FAQ-20058543?p=1

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-much-caffeine-is-too-much/amp/

Sarah’s Links

Jacobs,

Thomas, C. (2022 August 23). These 11 Caffeine Alternatives Will Give You a Natural Energy

Boost. MindBody.org.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/caffeine-alternatives-for-healthy-natural-energy
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Wellfest Caffeine Quiz

1) Which caffeinated beverage has the HIGHEST caffeine

concentration?

2) Which caffeinated beverage has the LOWEST caffeine

concentration?

3) True or false: Caffeine lowers blood pressure for many consumers.

4) What are 3 examples of symptoms caused by caffeine withdrawal?

5) How many milligrams of caffeine are recommended a day?